Sports

Chris Paul Makes NBA History with 82 Starts in His 20th Season

Chris Paul becomes the first player in NBA history to start 82 games in his 20th season

Uristocrat

Apr 13, 2025 — 2 min read

Key Takeaways:

Chris Paul becomes the first player in NBA history to start 82 games in his 20th season
The 38-year-old point guard defied age and injury concerns to complete a full regular season with the San Antonio Spurs

Chris Paul just added another chapter to his Hall of Fame résumé - and this one’s all about durability and consistency. At age 39, during his 20th NBA season, Paul started all 82 regular season games for the San Antonio spurs, becoming the first player in league history to hit that milestone in a 20th season. The previous mark on that front was held by Utah's John Stockton, who started all 82 games in his 19th and final season.

What Makes This Feat Special?

20 Seasons Deep: Only a few NBA players have reached a 20-year career, including LeBron James, Dirk Nowitzki, and Vince Carter - but none of them started every single game in that 20th season.
Position Demands: Playing point guard at a high level requires elite endurance, decision-making, and court vision - Paul still checks all those boxes.
Injury Avoidance: After dealing with injuries in recent seasons, Paul’s ability to remain healthy all year stands out as one of the most impressive parts of this record.

A Season of Smart, Steady Leadership

Though he’s no longer posting 20+ point nights regularly, Chris Paul’s stats this year tell the story of a floor general:

Averaged around 9 points, 7 assists, and 1.2 steals per game
Led one of the league’s top assist-to-turnover ratios
Brought a calming influence to a Warriors roster dealing with injuries and lineup changes

"It's crazy," Paul said. "I was talking to my wife about this. When you're sort of in it, you're not really thinking about it. It's like, 'OK, it's Game 30. OK, it's Game 40-something. It's game such and such.'"

He's one of six players who made 82 starts in this NBA regular season, which ended Sunday. The others: the New York Knicks' Mikal Bridges, Minnesota Timberwolves' Jaden McDaniels, Houston Rockets' Jalen Green, Cleveland Cavaliers' Jarrett Allen and Paul's San Antonio teammate Harrison Barnes.